Waterfall
by Rosa Lee
Summary: Something's wrong with Aithne, but she won't tell. Not even her two best friends know. She won't let anyone know, so how is she going to get help?


Waterfall  
  
By: Aki  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
~DISCLAIMER: The song WATERFALL does NOT belong to me! I repeat, does NOT belong to me. It does, however, belong to Aithne/Soho. So, don't take it without her permission!~  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
1 I don't know how I got here  
  
I doubt I ever will  
  
My life has changed dramatically  
  
But it seems the Earth is standing still  
  
And I'm about to fall down…  
  
Aithne took a long look around her. Her braided, shoulder-length, brown hair hung down her back, dripping wet. "Dat's da last time I'se go swimmin' wid youse bums. Youse tried ta drown me!" she accused. Her green eyes flashed wildly with anger.  
  
Her friends, the Manhattan newsies, laughed. "Wese did not! Youse jist mad dat youse were pushed undah watah!" Jack yelled back. His dark brown hair was matted to his head.  
  
Aithne glared at him. "Shuddap! I'se gonna go dry off." She whirled around, her braid landing in her face.  
  
"Aithne! Wait up!" a female voice called.  
  
Aithne kept walking, ignoring the voice. She spotted Jack's dingy hat and bandanna, and calmly picked them up.  
  
"Aithne!" the voice called again.  
  
Aithne sighed, and stopped. "Whaddya want, Aki?"  
  
Aki caught up with Aithne. "What's wrong? Tell me the truth."  
  
Aithne started walking again. "I'se sick of da guys treatin' me like one of da guys. Dere always so rough when wese playin' around. Youse wouldn' undahstand. Dey's treat youse all gentle like," she explained.  
  
Aki nodded. "I see. And do you tell them this?"  
  
Aithne snorted. "Oh, yea, and have dem treatin' me like a porcelain doll."  
  
Aki smiled. "Good point. They're either treating you like one of the guys or like a doll." Her blue-gray eyes sparkled with amusement. Her short brown hair was covered, not by her usual black derby or cabby hat, but by Specs' bowler.  
  
Aithne sighed once again. "I'se t'ink I'se wanna be alone. Meet youse at Tibby's latah. Okay?"  
  
Aki nodded. "You got it. I need to get back to Doyle. He's going to be lost without me."  
  
Aithne laughed. "Youse right. 'E is gonna be lost widout youse."  
  
Aki grinned. "That boy. Can't live with him, can't live without him." She waved, and returned to the boys, who were still swimming in the small pond.  
  
Aithne watched her friend leave. She glanced up at the sky. 'What a night. How did I'se evah end up being a newsie? Me life took a big drop.' "Why did youse have ta leave me?" she cried.  
  
She sauntered away from the view of the rest of the newsies. She clenched her jaw. "Why did youse let somet'ing like dis ta happen to me?" She fell to her knees. "I'se t'ought youse would nevah leave me!"  
  
She covered her face with her hands. When tears threatened to fall, she refused to hold them back any longer. She removed her hands. Bitter tears rolled off the tip of her nose, and slowly fell to the dirt. Her tears cascaded down in a waterfall.  
  
2 I'm falling over this waterfall  
  
And I don't know what to do or say  
  
Cos all I see is you and me  
  
And it comforts me on my way down  
  
Snitch stared out the window. The raindrops pounded the windowpane. "Dere is nevah anyt'ing ta do on rainy days," he complained. He pulled his brown hat over his eyes.  
  
Jake nodded. "Youse got dat right. I'se sick of pokah."  
  
"Ain't we all?" Itey piped up. He was fiddling with his suspenders like always.  
  
The three best friends sighed. "Have any of youse seen Aithne? Maybe I'se will do somet'ing wid 'er," Snitch wondered.  
  
Jake and Itey shook their heads. "Haven't seen 'er around at all. Maybe she's at Tibby's wid Aki and Lucky. Dose t'ree cin nevah be separated from each uddah," Itey replied.  
  
Jake sighed. "Lucky should separate from dose two. I'se ain't got a goil uddahwise." Lucky Rose O'Shea, Lucky, was Jake's girl.  
  
Snitch smiled sympathetically. "Why don' wese all go down ta Tibby's an' find dem. Itey, youse cin talk wid Aki. Jake, buy dinnah foah youse goil. I'se need ta talk ta Aithne."  
  
Itey groaned. "Why can't I'se jist eat dinnah wid someone else? Or get Doyle ta do it." He didn't like the fact that he would have to listen to Aki talk.  
  
Jake smacked him upside his head. "Because, youse bum, youse need ta loin how ta get along wid 'er." He placed his brown bowler over his brown hair. "Les' go."  
  
Snitch followed a grumbling Itey out the bunkroom door. "Stop your whinin', Itey," he warned.  
  
Itey sighed. "Fine. But youse owe me."  
  
Snitch rolled his eyes. "Fine. Youse cin have da bunk ta yourself tanight."  
  
Itey grinned. "T'anks."  
  
The three made their way out of the lodging house, and into the wet street. The rain began to lighten up, but not much. "I'se hate da rain," Jake declared.  
  
"Wese know," Itey and Snitch chimed together. They all laughed.  
  
They made their way to Tibby's conversing about how bad it was to sell on a rainy days. "No one is out or wants ta buy," Jake pointed out as they walked into Tibby's.  
  
Snitch stopped listening, and scanned the small restaurant for his girl, Aithne. He found her, Aki, and Lucky in a tiny booth in the corner. "Come on," he mumbled.  
  
Jake, Itey, and Snitch made their way over to the girls. Lucky's blue eyes lit up when she noticed her guy walking over. "Jake!" she screeched.  
  
Jake laughed. "Hiya, Lucky," he greeted. He scooped Lucky up into a hug.  
  
"You're wet." She scowled. Her brown hair was pulled into braid pigtails.  
  
"I'se know. I'se was in da rain. I'se had ta get heah somehow. Right?"  
  
Lucky nodded. She stole his hat, and placed it on her own head. Her thin glasses held up the bowler, which was sliding down her nose. Her small clover pendent, that hung around her neck, glimmered in the faint light.  
  
Aki smiled. "Now that she has her better half," she started, "I'm guessing that you would like to be alone with her, Snitch."  
  
Lucky stuck her tongue out at Aki. "I'se don' see youse wid your guy," she retorted.  
  
Snitch nodded. "Please?"  
  
Aki slipped out of the booth, and ushered Itey away. Itey tossed one last pleading look at Jake, who just waved and smiled.  
  
Aithne glanced at Snitch, and smiled weakly. "What's wrong, Snitch?"  
  
Snitch sat down, across from Aithne, and sighed. "Shouldn' I'se be askin' youse dat? What is your problem lately?" he wondered.  
  
Aithne raised an eyebrow. "What are youse talking about? Nothin' is wrong wid me. I'se don' have a problem. What are youse sayin'?" The anger was growing in her.  
  
"I'se worried about youse. Youse nevah talk ta me anymore. And your eyes always are distant. Tell me. Please?" His eyes pleaded with her.  
  
Aithne looked away. "A whole lot has been goin' t'rough me mind. Nothin' youse need ta know." She gazed at him. "Snitch, don' worry about me." She smiled.  
  
Snitch sighed. "Youse promise dat youse okay?"  
  
Aithne nodded. She leaned over the table, and kissed Snitch. He returned the kiss.  
  
She broke away. "I'se promise."  
  
3 I can't escape reality  
  
Although I often try  
  
Life feels like one big problem  
  
I almost can't wait to die  
  
But I don't want to fall down…  
  
I'm falling over this waterfall  
  
And I don't know what to do or say  
  
Cos all I see is you and me  
  
And it comforts me on my way down  
  
Aithne had locked herself in a stall. She looked over the small object that she held in her hand. 'I'se cin do dis. I'se be goin' home ta me faddah an' me muddah. I'se shouldn' be scared,' she thought.  
  
But, in reality, she was terrified. Her hands trembled. She choked back more tears. Her face was red from the black tears that fell earlier. She held the small object up to her wrist. As soon as she held it up, she dropped it. "God, help me!" she screamed.  
  
Lucky burst into the washroom. "Aithne? Aithne, wheah are youse?"  
  
Aithne unlocked the stall door. "Lucky, I'se almost did it. I'se almost did it," she repeated.  
  
Lucky looked confused. "Did what?"  
  
Aithne let the silent tears lace her cheeks. "I'se almost killed me. I'se had it up ta me wrist. I'se was so close," she whispered.  
  
Lucky moved closer to Aithne. "Oh god, Aithne. Youse can't do dat ta us. Youse can't do it ta yourself." She hugged her friend.  
  
Aithne nodded. "Dat's why I'se didn' do it. Because of all of youse. Me best friends an' me guy. I'se couldn' leave Snitch. Not like dis."  
  
Lucky pulled away. "Dat's good. Snitch would be lost widout youse. And Aki. Who would be keepin' 'er in line?"  
  
Aithne laughed quietly. "Youse right. Aki would be gettin' inta a lot of trouble."  
  
Lucky smiled. "Now, les' go find our guys. Aki seems to be spendin' a lot of time with Itey lately. Befoah, 'e couldn' stand bein' in da same room as 'er. Now, youse can't keep dem apart."  
  
Aithne flashed a crooked smile. "I'se t'ink dat is kinda odd."  
  
The two friends walked out of the washroom, leaving behind what happened.  
  
4 Will you help me fight this pain?  
  
Is there happiness ahead?  
  
Tell me, cos I can't see that far  
  
The world around me is in red  
  
There's no way not to fall down…  
  
Snitch stared at Aithne. Something was wrong with her. He could see it in her eyes. It was evident in the way she talked, walked, and acted. Her once outgoing personality had grown into a dull, lifeless one. He shook his head.  
  
"Miss Medda Larkson!" the announcer introduced.  
  
A petite, curly red head pranced onstage. She began to sing seductively. Any other time, Snitch would have enjoyed it, but not tonight. He was too focused on Aithne.  
  
Itey, however, was having a grand old time making a fool out of himself with Aki. They were singing and dancing like morons. No one paid any attention to the strange teens.  
  
Jake was too busy with Lucky. Up in the balcony, they were tucked away from all the distractions.  
  
"Aithne, wese got ta talk," Snitch told her firmly.  
  
Aithne glanced at him. "What is it? What's wrong?"  
  
Snitch sighed. "What da hell is wrong wid youse? I'se desoive ta know. Tell me now," he demanded.  
  
Aithne looked shocked. "What are youse talkin' about? Dere isn't anyt'ing wrong wid me," she shot back.  
  
Snitch smacked the table. "Don' lie ta me. Dere's somet'ing wrong wid youse. I'se know it. Don' youse try an' fool me."  
  
"I'se ain't. If dere was somet'ing wrong wid me, I'se would tell youse," she defended.  
  
Snitch rolled his eyes. "Tell me dere's nothin' wrong. An' look me in da eye."  
  
Aithne gulped. She stared straight in Snitch's eye. No words came out of her mouth. She couldn't force them out. She looked away. "I'se sorry. I'se jist goin' t'rough a hard time. I'se didn' mean ta hoit youse. Please forgive me?" she pleaded.  
  
Snitch nodded. "Whatevah youse goin' t'rough, wese goin' ta get t'rough it togethah. Alright?"  
  
Aithne smiled weakly. "Okay."  
  
I'm falling over this waterfall  
  
And I don't know what to do or say  
  
Cos all I see is you and me  
  
And it comforts me on my way down  
  
I'm falling over this waterfall  
  
And I don't know what to do or say  
  
Cos all I see is you and me  
  
And it comforts me on my way down 


End file.
